Black Rock Creek, Mt. Adams golfers dominate PGA pro-am

TOPPENISH - More than two dozen golfers from Sunnyside's Black Rock Creek Golf Course and Toppenish's Mt. Adams Country Club cashed this past Monday at a Central Washington chapter of the PGA pro-am event.

A field of 170 professionals and amateurs competed Monday at the Toppenish course. The one-day tourney was the 10th of 17 pro-am tournaments that comprise the "McCurley Integrity Dealerships Pro-Am Series." This series within a series is part of 26 events sactioned by the Central Washington chapter of the PGA.

The lowest score shot Monday was a seven-under 65, carded by amateur Souta Nozaka of Grandview. Representing Black Rock Creek, Nozaka is a member of the Gonzaga University men's golf team.

Finishing in second place in amateur division #1, behind Nozaka, were Ward Jackson of Yakima and Troy Wilmoth, a member of the host Mt. Adams club. Both, Jackson and Wilmoth fired three-under 69's.

Black Rock Creek PGA head club pro Jeff Bender finished in sixth place in the professional division. Bender toured the 18-hole course with a one-under 71. A pair of four-under 68's, notched by Scott Johnson of Horn Rapids Golf Course and John Thorsnes of Walla Walla Country Club, were the low rounds among the pros.

Two of Bender's Black Rock Creek squads finished in the "Top 8" in the team competition and cashed. Tying for fourth place honors with team scores of 193 were the Black Rock Creek squads of Bender, Bob Hall Jr., Bud Schatz, Randy Boast and Buzz Blake; and Bender, Nozaka, Mike Van Wingerden, Dean Stokes and Ken Goins.

The top finishing squad in the team competition hailed from Mt. Adams. Led by PGA assistant head pro Aaron Hunsaker, his team was comprised of Wilmoth, Mike Barnick, Jeff Michels and Hank Besel. The five-member group posted a tourney low 188.

Hunsaker also tied for top honors in the professional net division on Monday (actual score minus handicap). He shot a handicap-aided 69. Hunsaker, too, picked up a pair of skins, on holes 5 and 10, in the professional skins game.

Mt. Adams PGA head club pro Scott Galbraith, a Sunnyside High grad, and one of his four-person squads finished third with a 192 in the team competition. Galbraith's team was comprised of Perry Uchida, Debbie Anderson, Troy Monholland and Jerry Besel. Galbraith also led the amateur squad of Bob Greene, Dean Schuler, Steve Smythe and Dean Jorgensen to a tie for fourth place honors in the team competition (193).

In the individual flights of competition, Lower Valley golfers who cashed included: